The commenter I replied to said, “when there isn’t a choice, it’s repression”. This goes the other way, too. When the volleyball teams didn’t have the choice to cover up because the regulating body enforced “less than 10cm coverage” - which is a fact, this is a thing they did until recently - it’s just as bad. No woman should be forced to wear more or less clothing than they want. My comment was specifically in reference to the change in rules by the governing body allowing teams to come to their own decisions regarding appropriate uniform. Will some teams enforce regulations that are also bad? Yes, but progress is progress. A smaller group of people being forced to follow shitty regulations is always better than a huge group of people being forced to follow shitty regulations. That individual teams do not allow choice in no way undermines the progress of the regulating body.
I think you’re misunderstanding me. I’m talking about the change in the regulating body now allowing the teams, or at least the countries sponsoring them, to make their own choices. It used to be that the regulating body enforced skimpy bikinis, and now they don’t. That’s progress. Individual teams using that choice to be shitty in no way undermines that progress. Less people being forced to do or wear things against their will, better judgement, or desire is always better, even if there’s still progress to be made.
And this is tangential and I don’t really wish to get into an argument over it, but I have to point out that the logic of “well they knew what they were getting into so they by default consented to it” is really fucking terrible logic. Here, make the choice between being objectified so you can continue competing, or give up your dreams to maintain your dignity! What the fuck kind of choice is that? That’s coercion hiding behind choice. That’s one step below “have sex with me or you’re fired”. Fuck that noise.